


In Exchange

by indigorose50



Series: LT Shippy Week 2019 [1]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Plants, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 10:53:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17661287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigorose50/pseuds/indigorose50
Summary: Sportacus struggles with his newest plant and hopes Robbie feels up to helping him.





	In Exchange

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy this week of fics! Unless otherwise stated, none of these stories are connected. Also let me know if you spot any mistakes!
> 
> Theme: Plants/Gardening

It was a mark of how desperate Sportacus was that he sought out Robbie for help. He and Robbie had enjoyed a semi-truce lately: Sportacus had steered the kids away from Robbie’s favorite napping spots and Robbie hadn’t tried to kick Sportacus out of town. Even so, asking Robbie for help was a last ditch effort.

Robbie answered the knocking on his hatch with a glare ready in place. “What?” He snapped.

Sportacus held up his potted plant. “It’s dying.”

He thought it would take more than that but Robbie beckoned him inside immediately. With a quick twist, Robbie was dressed in a white doctor’s coat, complete with stethoscope around his neck.

“So!” He began after gesturing for Sportacus to put the plant on the kitchen table. “How are you torturing this poor creature?”

“I do not know!” Sportacus said honestly. The lavender plant was slowly turning brown. Most of the leaves near the end of their branches were dry and fell off at the slightest touch. “I water it, give it plenty of sun, but it’s just getting worse!”

Robbie hummed and circled the plant. Occasionally he poked at a branch or rubbed a leaf. Sportacus waited quietly, trying not to break Robbie’s concentration. Fruit plants and vegetable gardens he could do— but this lavender plant was frustrating.

“Got it!”

At Robbie’s shout, Sportacus jumped. “What?”

“I know the problem. Of course I do; I’m a genius!”

“That’s wonderful, Robbie!” Sportacus clapped. “How can I fix it?”

Robbie took off the stethoscope. “Oh, you can’t.”

The elation that had flared up in Sportacus went out. “I… can’t?”

“ _You_ can’t,” Robbie repeated. “ _I_ can.” He picked up the pot and rested it on his hip like it was a child. “Come back in two days and I’ll have it fixed.”

“You will fix it for me?”

“After seeing the condition of this plant, I don’t want to risk you trying so, yes. I’ll do it for you.”

With a bright smile, Sportacus reached out to hug Robbie. “Thank you!”

“ _Don’t_ do that!” Robbie took gigantic steps back to escape Sportacus’ outstretched arm. “None of your touchy-feely Elf stuff.”

Sportacus put up his hands. “Sorry. I will be back in two days then.” Robbie waved a hand dismissively and Sportacus climbed back out of the lair, a little embarrassed by his actions.

He was halfway to his ship when he realized Robbie hadn’t asked for anything in exchange.

* * *

Two days later, Sportacus knocked on the hatch again. It opened right away and he slid down, ending with a perfect flip into the lair. Robbie, standing by his chair, rolled his eyes. “Do you have to?”

Sportacus chuckled. Beside Robbie were two plants: one in the pot Sportacus had left here and the second one in a bright orange pot. “What’s that?” Sportacus asked, pointing.

Grinning triumphantly, Robbie held out the orange potted plant. “Congratulations, it’s a lavender.”

“It— what?”

“The problem was that your plant was getting too big for its pot,” Robbie explained, still smiling. “Its roots were all tangled and tight. Basically, I took it out and separated it into _two_ lavender plants. Now they both can grow. In short,” Robbie waved one of the lavender branches, “your plant had a baby.”

Sportacus stared at the two lavenders before letting out a ‘woop’ and grabbing the orange pot from Robbie. “That’s amazing, Robbie! You really separated all the roots? That must have taken forever!”

Robbie’s smile went from gloating to sheepish and he rubbed the back of his neck. “It was— well, I won’t pretend it didn’t take hours. You had that poor thing cramped! I’m surprised it hadn’t packed up and walked away itself!”

With a snort, Sportacus shook his head. “I never would have figured this out without you, Robbie. Thank you so much.”

“It takes a unique mind to come up with these things,” Robbie said, tapping his temple. His smugness was returning. Deservedly so, in Sportacus’ opinion.

“So, what would you like?”

“What would I like?”

“In exchange for helping me,” Sportacus explained. “What would you like in return?”

Robbie’s mouth hung open loosely as he stared at Sportacus. That he hadn’t just yelled “I would like you to leave town for _ever_ ” immediately was indicative of how far their tense friendship had come.

“I… I would like ice cream,” Robbie finally answered after a moment.

“Sure,” Sportacus put down the plant again, ready to take out a pen and paper. “What kind do you—”

“Ice cream,” Robbie interrupted. “with you.”

“With… me?”

“Yes. Come with me to get ice cream.”

Sportacus’ heart beat a little louder in his ear. “Why do you need me to be there?”

Robbie scowled even as his face turned pink and red. “Because it won’t be a d-date otherwise!”

“A date?”

“Yes!”

“You want to go on a date with me?”

Robbie waved his arms wordlessly and then dug his fingers into his gelled hair. “What part of this is confusing?!”

“S-Sorry!” Sportacus was sure he was turning interesting shades as well. It was a good thing he had put the plant down already; his hands were starting to sweat. “No one has asked me on a date before!”

Robbie’s eyes pointedly ran over Sportacus’ arms and chest and hair. “ _How_?! Never mind,” he added flatly, putting up a hand as Sportacus opened his mouth. “Never mind just— are you okay with getting ice cream together or not?”

Trying to discreetly wipe his hands on his pants, Sportacus nodded rapidly. “Yes. Yes, let’s go.”

Robbie’s shoulders sagged in apparent relief. “Great.” He picked up both plants and handed them to Sportacus. “I know a great spot run by an incredibly handsome person.”

They turned to leave but Sportacus hesitated. Doubling back to the armchair, he placed the orange pot onto the cushion. Robbie raised an eyebrow at him. “I said the date was my payment.”

“I know. This is a gift. It’s traditional to give flowers when you start courting someone.”

The blush was back and it ran all the way to Robbie’s ears this time. Smiling, Sportacus took his hand and led Robbie up the pipe, revived lavender plant in his free arm.


End file.
